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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. wound — an injury
  3. clip — to cut
  4. firm — a company
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. firm — steady
  7. net — for catching
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. firm — decided
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. net — after costs
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rush — hurry
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pit — a hole
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. net — in sport
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com